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US 5,401,948 AGranted
Mirrorless scanners with movable laser, optical and sensor components
AssigneeSymbol Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMark J. Krichever, Boris Metlitsky, Edward D. Barkan, Howard M. Shepard, Jerome Swartz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In bar code symbol scanning systems employing laser, optical and sensor components, a mirrorless scanner arrangement mounts one or more of these components on a drive for repetitive reciprocating movement either about an axis or in a plane to effect scanning.
Claims15
A scanner arrangement in a light scanning system for reading coded indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, said system being of the type including:
- (A) a light source component for emitting a light beam,
- (B) an optical component for optically modifying and directing the light beam from the light source component along a non-folded optical path toward coded indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system,
- (C) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the coded indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity, and
- (D) means for decoding the electrical signal into data represented by the coded indicia,
- said arrangement comprising:
- scanning means for mounting at least one of the components for reciprocal scanning movement relative to another of the components, and for reciprocally moving said at least one component relative to said other component to scan at least one of said light beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the coded indicia.
3 more elements
A scanner arrangement in a light scanning system for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, said system being of the type including:
- (A) a light source component for emitting a light beam,
- (B) an optical component for optically modifying and directing the light beam from the light source component along a non-folded optical path toward indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system, and
- (C) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity,
- said arrangement comprising:
- scanning means for mounting at least one of the components for reciprocal scanning movement relative to another of the components, and for reciprocally moving said at least one component relative to said other component to scan at least one of said light beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the indicia in a plane which is perpendicular to the optical path.
2 more elements
A scanner arrangement in a light scanning system for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, said system being of the type including:
- (A) a light source component for emitting a light beam,
- (B) an optical component for optically modifying and directing the light beam from the light source component along a non-folded optical path toward indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system, and
- (C) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity,
- said arrangement comprising:
- scanning means for mounting only one of the components for reciprocal scanning movement relative to the other two components, and for reciprocally moving said only one component relative to said other two components to scan at least one of said light beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the indicia.
2 more elements
A method of reading coded indicia having parts of different light reflectivity in a light scanning system of the type including:
- (A) a light source component for emitting a light beam,
- (B) an optical component for optically modifying and directing the light beam from the light source component along a non-folded optical path toward coded indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system,
- (C) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the coded indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity, and
- (D) means for decoding the electrical signal into data represented by the coded indicia,
- said method comprising the steps of:
- mounting at least one of the components for reciprocal scanning movement relative to another of the components, and reciprocally moving said at least one component relative to said other component to scan at least one of said light beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the coded indicia.
3 more elements
A method of reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity in a light scanning system of the type including:
- (A) a light source component for emitting a light beam,
- (B) an optical component for optically modifying and directing the light beam from the light source component along a non-folded optical path toward indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system, and
- (C) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity,
- said method comprising the steps of:
- mounting at least one of the components for reciprocal scanning movement relative to another of the components, and reciprocally moving said at least one component relative to said other component to scan at least one of said light beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the indicia in a plane which is perpendicular to the optical path.
2 more elements
A method of reading bar code symbols in a light scanning system of the type including:
- (A) a laser diode for emitting a laser beam,
- (B) a focusing lens and an aperture stop for optically modifying and directing the laser beam directly from the laser diode along a non-folded optical path toward the symbol located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system, and
- (C) a photodetector having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of laser light of variable intensity reflected off the symbol, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected laser light intensity,
- said method comprising the steps of:
- mounting the laser diode, the focusing lens and the aperture stop for reciprocal scanning movement, and reciprocally moving the diode, lens and aperture stop together as a unit to scan at least one of said laser beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the symbol.
2 more elements
A method of reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity in a light scanning system of the type including:
- (A) a light source component for emitting a light beam,
- (B) an optical component for optically modifying and directing the light beam from the light source component along a non-folded optical path toward indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system, and
- (C) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity,
- said method comprising the steps of:
- mounting only one of the components for reciprocal scanning movement relative to the other two components, and reciprocally moving said only one component relative to said other two components to scan at least one of said light beam and said field of view directed along said non-folded optical path across the indicia.
2 more elements
A scanner arrangement for reading indicia, comprising:
- (A) a light source stationarily mounted on a support, and operative for emitting a light beam;
- (B) a lens for focusing and directing the light beam along a non-folded optical path toward an indicium to be scanned;
- and
- (C) scanning means for reciprocally moving the lens relative to the stationary light source in a direction generally transversely of the non-folded optical path to sweep the light beam across the indicium.
1 more element
A scanning method of reading indicia, comprising the steps of:
- (A) stationarily mounting a light source on a support, the light source being operative for emitting a light beam;
- (B) focusing and directing the light beam with a lens along a non-folded optical path toward an indicium to be scanned;
- and
- (C) reciprocally moving the lens relative to the stationary light source in a direction generally transversely of the non-folded optical path to sweep the light beam across the indicium.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.